[Dtb-talk] More on NLS and International Interlibrary loan

[Tim Gillett]

Greg wrote,
"Clearly decisions were made here well before my arrival and for which I know little of the process.
 But whatever was done in the past is in the past. 
All major libraries are now or have already switched to DAISY
 and loan materials that arrive in tape form in future would have to be converted."

Greg, 
 
Yes of course you only arrived less than a year ago.
You had no responsibility for decisions made even a year ago let alone 20 years ago. 
But I was talking about the Association for the Blind of Western Australia  as an organisation, not you personally.

2 track cassette was never used as a serious Talking Book format throughout the Talking Book world.
Two  Australian organisations which solely used 2 track were Hear A Book in Tasmania and the Australian Listening Library.
They never made the transition to digital. 
Both  folded.

Right now ABWA's postal library service in Western Australia still issues to its borrowers
solely or predominantly in 2 track cassette, 
a format never even considered for a large, serious Talking Book operation. 
Borrowers still have to find their own cassette players which have been increasingly difficult to source for years.
ABWA does not format convert THOSE thousands of  titles to DAISY before sending them out to its borrowers.

If NLS had mailed to ABWA the same title, not in 4 track but in 2 track, it would be the  same format that ABWA
 now issues to the vast majority  of its postal borrowers. Would ABWA have  converted THAT 2 track title to DAISY?
If so  wouldnt that be giving the interlibrary loan borrower preferential treatment 
over its normal library borrowers who have to put up with cassettes every day?

On the other hand if NLS had lent the title to ABWA in DAISY, how would the borrower play the title? 
Most WA borrowers have neither a NLS cassette player nor a DAISY player. 
They are stuck in the middle with the 2 track cassette player  a relative bought them from K Mart.  

ABWA criticisms of NLS/LOC for currently issuing an international interlibrary loan title in  4 track cassette format,
 when it is still a current format which NLS  supports with client players, come across as a little precious.

Perhaps the criticism of NLS/LOC's future possible international interlibrary loan policies would sound better
coming from a Talking Book organisation which itself has kept up with Talking Book trends both in analog and in digital.
ABWA most definitely has not, though we all have  hopes things are changing quickly. 

I know you didnt intend this consequence but again you are seen to be speaking for the organisation.

At present ABWA understandably has, shall we say,
a bit of an image problem with its blind borrowers and other members of the public including myself
 who also know the real  service delivery story. 

I know the organisation is trying  hard to reinvent itself as a trend setter in Talking Books 
and given its history nothing could be better than such an outcome. It would be a massive turnaround.

You are the first Technical Manager the ABWA Talking Book Library has employed in 20 years! 
The previous one was myself in the late 80's. Before me, a qualified Electronics Engineer.

That alone surely says something about ABWA's committment to its Talking Book service until very recently.

I hope I'm wrong about all of the above but I fear I am right.

Best wishes

Tim Gillett
Audio/Electronics Technician
Perth, Western Australia